Make Your Writing Say Something
Try a one-line test
Finish this sentence about your draft: “I want the reader to understand that…” Compare it with your main point.
Reveal a tip or example
If they don’t match, decide which idea the draft should develop.
A longer paragraph is not automatically a stronger paragraph. Neither is a paragraph that has been introduced to every word in the thesaurus. Strong writing gives the reader something clear to understand and enough explanation to follow it. Before worrying about sounding impressive, ask yourself what you are actually trying to say. If you cannot explain your point in an ordinary sentence, give yourself a little more thinking time.
Begin with the assignment itself. Circle the words that tell you what to do, such as explain, compare, analyze, or argue. Then put the task into your own words and write a possible answer. That answer may become your thesis or the main idea of a paragraph. It can change as you work, but it gives you a direction more useful than “I need another hundred words.”
Next, choose a detail that genuinely supports your point. In a response to reading, that may be a quotation or a carefully paraphrased example from the text. In another assignment, it may be a fact, observation, or example the directions allow. Do not leave that detail standing alone and expect it to introduce itself. Explain what it shows, why it matters, and how it connects to the point you are making.
When you revise, look for places where you repeat your idea without developing it. Saying that a character is brave three different ways does not explain the character’s courage. Describing the difficult choice, showing the risk, and explaining the decision gives the reader something to consider. Read your paragraph aloud and ask where another person might need more information. That is often where your next useful revision belongs.
Practice evidence, elaboration, and revision in the Skills Lab